SUBVERTING Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

subverting

verb

present participle of subvert

as in corrupting

to lower in character, dignity, or quality by insisting that she pay me for helping her, she subverted my noble desire to do a good deed without reward

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of subverting Stalter made a statement with her look at the 2025 Emmys, too, subverting the event’s formal dress code. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 Ouweleen, who took over the top job following the retirement of longtime leader Mike Lazzo in 2022, stressed that the network retains its commitment to subverting expectations even as formats change. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 By subverting Musk’s favorite tropes of video gaming and simulations, the film conveys the dangers of becoming like the Game Master in Ready Player One. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 The film’s procedural aspect ticks along just fine, holding the attention without subverting expectations, and carried by actors who, much like the detectives in this case, are ultra-capable professionals with no inclination to go rogue on us. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 The show also pokes fun at the late 1990s and early 2000s liberal cultural consensus that was upheld in other popular culture of the time while also both replicating and subverting stereotypes of suburban Southern white Americans. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026 The state alleges OpenAI's rapid success stems from deceit and exploitation, causing widespread harm to Floridians and subverting public order. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 No artist has had more fun subverting the conventions of the track ID than Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026 There must be accountability for Supreme Court justices that have taken part in subverting American democracy. — Oliver Adams Larkin, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverting

Verb

And by engaging with these powerful militaries, the group reinforced its self-image as a major regional player that was uniquely capable of liberating the Muslim world from corrupting American and Israeli influence.

— April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Gadgets with screens of any size have long been allegedly melting, rotting, and/or corrupting the brains of youths for decades.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of corrupting

Verb

The study showed that adding synthetic, non-canonical amino acids called azatryptophans to plastic-degrading enzymes (PETases) can break the trade-off between catalytic activity and thermal stability.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Simply douse it with mildly alkaline water, and the polymer begins degrading, breaking down within minutes.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of degrading

Verb

Already, many import-dependent countries face shortages, fiscal pressure, and in some cases a difficult choice between cutting fuel subsidies and risking unrest or maintaining them and further weakening public finances.

— RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
Long-range seasonal guidance analyzed by Severe Weather Europe shows the stratospheric circulation potentially weakening during January and February.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

Fox attorneys also accused executives at both Dominion and Smartmatic of destroying evidence in their respective cases, and sought sanctions.

— Maddy Lauria, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026
Because both sides can persistently generate concentrated effects without concentrating forces, destroying the enemy’s ability to keep fighting becomes harder.

— NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

Figures won election two years ago after a federal court ruled that Alabama had been illegally diluting the voting power of Black Alabamians and ordered new district lines.

— Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Ultimately, the C-suite led with the name that signaled quality to the widest set of possible consumers (even if execs privately fretted about diluting the good name of HBO with a streaming service featuring thousands of shows of varying quality).

— Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of diluting

Verb

With seven months left in his term, Macron’s approval ratings are near record lows, driven by anger over the rising cost of living and criticism of France’s growing debt and deficit and deteriorating public services.

— Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
In schools, lead can come from deteriorating paint or from old plumbing, where water that sits unused in pipes can pick up lead.

— Rebecca Smullin Dawson, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of deteriorating

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subverters

subverting

subverts

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“Subverting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverting. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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